Option-Click: Hacking the Kaossilator

Holding down the Tap and Loop Rec buttons while powering up the Korg KO-1 Kaossilator activates 4-bar looping and more.

In my review of Korg's otherwise splendid little synth (see p. 70), I had one big complaint: its loop recorder maxes out at just eight beats (two bars in 4/4). Happily, I learned you can double that limit by powering up in “bufferless” mode. This procedure reassigns the undo buffer to the loop memory, meaning you can no longer undo overdubs. For me, that trade-off was totally worth it.

There are other useful quirks in bufferless mode. If you record a loop and then increase the global loop length, the Kaossilator will duplicate your original to match the new length. (In normal mode, it just goes silent.) Briefly drop the loop length to “h” (a 64th note) for a buzzing effect, and the buzz will be recorded into the loop. Changing the tempo will create interesting glitch effects. (For more about David Battino's work, visit batmosphere.com.)